Victorian Rail & Tram Observations July - December 2012

[Mercedes]

Fire away

[RailwayBus]

There has been a Hitachi running around all day today (Sunday) on the Werribee and Sydenham lines.

[BroadGauge]

There is a Comeng train running around with weird looking antennas on both 3-car sets (still coupled at the moment), apparently for a trial of a new level crossing warning system on the Frankston line.

Dunno if the trial has started yet cos I traveled on it running as the 20:41 Belgrave - Flinders Street service tonight, straying a bit away from it's test bed

[RailwayBus]

There is a Comeng train running around with weird looking antennas on both 3-car sets (still coupled at the moment), apparently for a trial of a new level crossing warning system on the Frankston line.

There are apparantly 5 trains fitted, but I have only seen one.

[BroadGauge]

Have noticed recently that about a third of weekday daytime trams on route 78 are Z-classes, is there a shortage of W class trams at the moment?

[grenda bus 669]

i have heard that most of the W class trams are going to be withdrawn later on

grenda bus 669

[Connex]

Have noticed recently that about a third of weekday daytime trams on route 78 are Z-classes, is there a shortage of W class trams at the moment?

There's a few Ws out of action from both GH and SB due to leaks in the roof. It's what happens when they're not properly stored and overhauled every so often. The last of the O1 and O2 overhauls ended before privatisation.

Also comes down to whether or not there's a driver who's qualified to drive a W Class on the table. As not every driver at GH is trained on W class trams, they'd send out a Z (or an A).

i have heard that most of the W class trams are going to be withdrawn later on

Was the case with the previous Government, but the current Government allocated funding to restoring the Ws. (Wasn't much from memory, $8mil I think was the sum allocated.)

[Luke]

i have heard that most of the W class trams are going to be withdrawn later on

grenda bus 669

Obviously, ALL of the W's will be removed at some point...

[hungho95]

Line Suspended - Frankston line: between Moorabbin-Mordialloc (vandalised train). Buses to replace trains. Majors delays expected.

[grenda bus 669]

how could a vandalised train cause delays

grenda bus 669

[Connex]

Reports are that a train collided with an obstruction on the line, most likely a shopping trolley.

At speed, a mangled shopping trolley can cause all sorts of damage to the undercarriage equipment to a train.

Either way, normal service has resumed on the Frankston line as of 2300hrs.

[RailwayBus]

how could a vandalised train cause delays

grenda bus 669

Is this a joke question or what?
Surely you're not serious??

[Luke]

Someone put a shopping trolley on the line. It went under the train and caused some damage.

[Mitch]

Spotted Hitachi 287M-1979T-288M coupled with another Hitachi set running Sandringham services this afternoon.

Thanks,
Mitchul [;

[712M]

A Comeng train was stabled in Cranbourne this afternoon with "Sunbury" on it's desto. Are V/Line services programmed into the Comeng destos or was it manually entered?

[RailwayBus]

Comeng trains have all terminating stations on the Metro network programmed. As Sunbury is a terminating station on the Metro network (but not yet served by Metro trains), it is in there. Siemens trains also have it.

[Connex]

Metro has refreshed their website; much aligned with their April 22nd timetable microsite.

[Mitch]

Metro has refreshed their website; much aligned with their April 22nd timetable microsite.

I quite like it, I think it looks a lot nicer than their last website.

Thanks,
Mitchul [;

[josh01]

Steam rail is running down the pakenham line today sighted it leaving
Southern cross at 8.35 what's funny while at southern cross. The announcement said next train depart platform 13
Is the 8.30am special train departing now many people confuses

[jarf]

Not an observation as such, but:

http://ptv.vic.gov.au/news/news-promoti ... ugust-2012

New myki gates at train stations: from 23 July – end of August 2012
Date Published: Thursday 19 July 2012
Touching on and off with myki at gated stations will become easier following the rollout of 50 new myki gates.

The new myki gates, replacing the hybrid Metcard/myki gates, are due to be in place by the end of August at Flinders Street, Southern Cross, Flagstaff, Melbourne Central, Parliament, Frankston, Dandenong and Sunbury stations.

New myki gates are scheduled to be installed and operating at:
Sunbury Station
•week commencing 23 July 2012

Parliament Station (Collins Street exit)
•week commencing 30 July 2012

Dandenong Station
•week commencing 30 July 2012

Passengers will benefit from dedicated myki readers with audible and visible notifications of their touch on and touch off. Passengers will also be able to see the fare deducted for their travel, whether they have touched on successfully at the start of their trip and their remaining card balance as they touch on and off on the new gates.

The installation of these gates may cause short-term disruption to some passengers while the work is carried out.

Sunbury? Seems a bit random...

[CB80]

They were installing them at Parliament last night.

[josh01]

any one knew what happened on the Gippsland line this afternoon . I caught the 137pm train from warragul station today.When we arrived near the dandenong valley rd interchange there was an announcement due to signal failure up a head this train is not moving bus replacement on order . we stuck there for at least 1hr and 30 min . we get to dandenong and the train still went on to southern cross

[Mitch]

Exactly that. A signal failure.

Thanks,
Mitchul [;

[Luke]

"Buses on order, equipment fault at Dandenong, train services terminating at Oakleigh, buses Oakleigh to Pakenham and Cranbourne, major delays expected."

Dandenong panel fails, no trains for 1hr20m. Ongoing software issues on the Caulfield panel at Metrol.

[B10BLE]

Around lunch time today, I saw a Bairnsdale bound N set speed through Westall on platform 3. Does platform 3 even get used by Metro trains? I rarely see one stop there.